Where is Lake Titicaca? Report on Lake Titicaca.
Surrounded by the snow-capped Andes, Lake Titicaca is South America's most famous body of water. Located high above the level of the World Ocean, it bears the honorary title of “Andean Sea” and is the highest navigable lake on Earth. Ancient tribes considered it the center of the universe, and now it is the source of life for many creatures.
The Flood, or the Legend of the Origin of the Lake
A long time ago, at a time when, according to the Indians, humanity did not yet exist, a great misfortune happened - a global flood. The supreme god Viracocha managed to prevent the destruction of the world by chaining the elements in the embrace of rocks. Tired, he wandered around the deserted islands of Amantani until he chose two of them - on one he commanded the Sun to rise, on the other - the Moon. And he named them respectively – Isla del Sol and Isla del Luna. Well, the top of Mount Tiwanaku became the cradle of the civilization of the same name - Viracocha populated it with people.
Local residents still believe in this beautiful legend about the appearance of their sacred reservoir. In fact, Lake Titicaca was once a sea bay, but under the influence of geological processes, the Andes mountains began to gradually rise. So a reservoir with an area of 8370 square meters. km ended up at an altitude of 3812 m between Peru and Bolivia.
"Mountain Puma"
The name of the lake was given by the Spaniards, combining it from two words of the Quechua Indian language: “kaka” - “rock”, “titi” - “puma”. It is unclear why Lake Titicaca seemed similar to a mountain cat to the colonizers, but if you give free rein to your imagination, the outline of the reservoir in the photograph really does somewhat resemble the sacred Quechua animal.
The climatic conditions in the area where the largest reserves of fresh water on the mainland are located are quite mild: there is no sweltering heat in the summer, and the winters are not frosty. But it’s mainly “walruses” who can swim in the lake - the average water temperature is 10-14 degrees, and in cold times Titicaca is even covered with a thin ice crust off the shore. And the birds are quite at ease here: flamingos, swallows, ducks and rare species of birds find refuge. Among the amphibians, the Titicaca whistle frog is an interesting one - an amphibian that can breathe under water. She rarely surfaces, so seeing her is good luck. There are few natives among the fish - the Indians quickly reduced the population through active fishing, so in the 20th century the situation had to be improved artificially by introducing trout, which quickly replaced the old-timers. The animal kingdom is represented by llamas, skunks, wild guinea pigs and funny viscachas - animals that resemble a rabbit.
Abode of Indians
There are more than 40 islands on the territory of Lake Titicaca, Isla del Sol is the largest of them. Most of the land was developed by people - descendants of the Indians. Saving scraps of land, the interesting Uru tribe makes islands for themselves from reeds. For many centuries, this plant has been a material for a kind of foundation and buildings of simple construction, and at the same time it is also used as food. The Uru are motivated by the fact that they can swim away from danger at any moment. They willingly take tourists on homemade boats, treat them to unusual dishes and talk about the symbolism of simple souvenirs.
Secrets and legends of Titicaca
In 2000, Italian divers descended to the bottom of Titicaca and made a sensational discovery, discovering an entire underwater world. The long terrace and stone wall looked like an interesting find until sculptures and a massive statue of a man's head were found! But the ancient Incan city of Wanaku, the hero of Indian legends, did not want to show itself to researchers. Even the famous Jacques Cousteau tried to find it in the 60s, but for the time being the lake decided to keep its secrets to itself.
Sometimes Lake Titicaca is called the foreign brother of Russian Baikal: both are huge sources of fresh water, have similar properties, and only one river flows from them. And in terms of the number of secrets and legends, Titicaca is not much inferior to Baikal. Both attract tourists with the beauty of their coastal nature.
Kaluga region, Borovsky district, Petrovo village
On the website of the cultural and educational center "ETNOMIR" there is a special section for. Here you will find a list of topics for educational tours to the ethnopark - with various excursions and master classes, animation programs, quests and quizzes. By receiving this or that information about the world around them, students learn about everything as if from the inside: the basis of learning is the principle of clarity. Expanding the topic, we work in an interdisciplinary space, synthesizing information on geography, physics, history, technology, etc. We are for education to be part of personal growth: by studying the world, we get to know ourselves!
Titicaca (Spanish: Titicaca) is the largest freshwater lake in South America, the second largest by surface area (after the lake in Venezuela) on the continent: the basin area is 8.3 thousand km², the maximum length is 190 km, the maximum width is about 80 km , and the average depth of the lake ranges from 100 to 281 m. Located in South America, at an altitude of more than 3.8 thousand meters above sea level, Titicaca is considered the highest navigable lake in the world.
The origin of the name of the reservoir is not known for certain; it consists of two words from the tribal language: “Titi” - “puma” and “caca” - “rock”. That is, Titicaca is a “stone puma”. From a bird's eye view, the outline of the lake truly resembles the outline of a puma, the sacred animal of the Quechua people.
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Location and geographical featuresLake Titicaca is located on the (Spanish: Altiplano), surrounded by picturesque snow-capped mountain peaks and fertile valleys. Scientific studies of the topography of the mountains, fauna and chemical composition of the lake’s water showed that the reservoir was once a sea bay and was 3.75 thousand meters lower than today.
Geologists claim that the lake was a bay of the sea about 100 million years ago; to this day, the reservoir is predominantly inhabited by marine species of fish and crustaceans; Traces of the sea surf are preserved on the mountain slopes, and on the shores of the lake there are fossilized remains of marine animals. It should be noted that the Andes are young mountains, their growth continues to this day.
For residents of the Altiplano high plateau, the huge lake is at the same time a source of water, building material and the main supplier of food, as well as a colossal heating pad that softens the climate of the cold desert region, because the water temperature in the reservoir never drops below +11°C. It is no coincidence that people have settled on the shores of the lake since ancient times (more than 10 thousand years ago).
The lake is divided by the narrow Strait of Tiquina (Spanish: Tiquina) into two bodies of water, which are called differently in each country: in Bolivia, the smaller body of water is called “Lago Huinaymarca”, the larger one is “Lago Chucuito”, in Peru parts of the lake are called “Lago Pequeno” respectively. and "Lago Grande".
Titicaca
The lake is often called the twin of Baikal, because it is an almost closed reservoir into which more than 300 rivers flowing from glaciers flow, and the only small river that flows out is the Desaguadero (Spanish: Río Desaguadero, “dehydrating”), which carries away approximately 10% of the volume of water and flows into in salty (Spanish: Lago Poopo), located in Bolivia. With a water salinity of about 1%, Titicaca is considered a freshwater lake.
The water in the lake comes from melted glacial waters and atmospheric precipitation. About 27 rivers (5 of which are large) are fed by glaciers located throughout the high mountain plateau, then flow into the lake. The largest of the rivers is the Ramis (Spanish: Ramis), which flows into the northwestern part of the lake, which accounts for almost ²⁄5 of Titicaca's water volume.
There are 41 islands on the lake, the largest of which is Isla del Sol (Spanish: Isla del Sol). There are many Quechua settlements around the reservoir and on the islands. Part of the population lives on floating reed islands called. On the western (Peruvian) shore of the lake is located (Spanish: Puno), the administrative center and largest city of the province of the same name.
Animal worldLake Titicaca is home to a significant population of various bird species (more than 60), including rare ones, both permanent residents and migratory ones. For this reason, in 1998 the lake was included in the register of wetlands of international importance. The Titicaca flightless grebe, now endangered, is found here. Other birds that live here include the Chilean flamingo, slender-billed ibis, cormorant, night heron, Andean swallow, and all kinds of ducks.
The lake is home to 18 species of amphibians, the most famous of which is the Titicaca whistler, a frog that can breathe underwater and lives in the swampy areas of the lake under rocks, only occasionally coming to the surface.
Due to the high altitude and extreme temperatures, only a few species of mammals are found in the lake area, including llamas, alpacas, Andean wolf, Andean fox, Andean skunk, wild guinea pig and viscacha (a rodent resembling a rabbit).
In the 30s and 40s of the 20th century, several species of fish that were more economically beneficial for the region were released into the lake; since then, local fish species have become rare and endangered. Today, the most common species here are trout (lake and rainbow), which have taken root well in the lake.
ClimateThe lake is located in the alpine zone, where temperatures are cool for most of the year. Winters are dry, with mild daytime temperatures and cold nights. The average temperature on the water surface is from +10°C to +14°C. In winter (June-August) the water temperature is around +10°C.
Myths of the mysterious lakeTiticaca is one of the most mysterious and beautiful lakes in the world, which is considered the cradle of Teotihuacan and the indigenous Andean Indian tribes (Aymara, Quechua). In ancient times, according to Inca mythology, the Earth experienced terrible natural disasters and a global flood, as a result of which our planet was plunged into darkness and cold, and the human race was threatened with extinction.
Some time after the great flood, the creator god Viracocha (Kech. Wiraqucha) emerged from the depths of the lake. Traveling through the islands of Amantani (Spanish: Amantani), Isla del Sol (Spanish: Isla del Sol) and Isla de la Luna (Spanish: Isla de la Luna), Viracocha ordered the Sun (Inti) to rise first, then the Moon (Mama-Kilya). Then, having ascended to (Spanish: Tiahuanaco), he began to populate the world, re-creating man and woman. Tiwanaku remains a sacred site in the Andes to this day.
Lake Titicaca and Isla del Sol
Believing that the Sun and Moon arose on Isla del Sol and Isla de la Luna, located in the middle of the lake, the Incas built temples dedicated to the celestial elements on them. The region was considered a popular pilgrimage route long before the arrival of Europeans. The supreme rulers of the Incas themselves flocked to the lake to worship their shrines. Archaeologists have discovered sanctuaries created in 500 BC, that is, the islands of the lake were considered sacred places of ancient pre-Inca civilizations, from which the Incas inherited them. The lake was the cradle of the Tiahuanaco civilization, which sank into oblivion around 1200 AD.
Main attractionsThe rocky and hilly picturesque island of Isla del Sol, lying in the southern part of the lake, is considered one of the most famous places in Bolivia. According to the Incan legend, it was on this island that the children of the Sun were born: Manco Capac (Spanish: Manco Capac; the first Inca, founder of Tawantinsuyu - the Inca state) and his wife Mama Ocllo (Spanish: Mama Ocllo), the Inca Adam and Eve. There are no cars or paved roads on the island. The population of about 5 thousand inhabitants is mainly engaged in agriculture and fishing; in recent years, the islanders have made money from tourism.
There are approximately 90 archaeological ruins on Isla del Sol, most of which date back to the 14th and 15th centuries. AD (during the reign of the Incas), the most significant of which are the following:
In total, there are 32 “settled” natural islands on the lake. In addition, in the Gulf of Puno (on the Peruvian side of Titicaca), more than 40 artificial reed floating islands, known as "" (Spanish Uros) - named after their creators and owners, the Uros Indians, are of great interest.
The unique floating structures were woven by the Indians from totora reeds, which grow here in abundance. In the 13th century, at the time of the arrival of the Incas, the Uros lived on the coast. Not wanting to submit to the powerful empire, they built themselves shelters right in the middle of the lake. The rebellious Indians ate the roots of reeds - totori, from which, with the addition of clay, they sculpted islands and huts drifting along the lake. The Inca civilization has long since sunk into oblivion, but the Uros culture exists to this day.
About 10 families live on the largest of the islands. The islanders continue to live traditionally by hunting birds, fishing and trading with the Aymara tribes. But today the main source of income for the inhabitants of the floating islands has become tourism, which over the past decades has radically changed the established way of life of Uros.
The Indians have learned to produce handicrafts and souvenirs, take pictures with tourists, take them for rides on reed boats, making good money from this.
One of the Uros Islands
Taquile IslandThe island of Taquile (Spanish: Taquile), located on the Peruvian part of the lake (45 km from the city of Puno), was one of the last places in Peru to submit to the Spanish crown. The island with an area of 5.5 x 1.6 km² is home to about 2.2 thousand inhabitants.
The islanders are famous for their textile craftsmanship. Women make yarn and weave cloth; knitting is done exclusively by men, starting from the age of 8. In 2005, UNESCO included the textile art of the inhabitants of Taquile in the register of “Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.”
Since ancient times, the way of life of the islanders has been built on the principles of collectivism and a moral code: “Ama sua, ama llulla, ama qhilla” (from Quechua “Don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t be lazy”). There are no dogs or police officers at all on Taquila, because the islanders do not break laws. There is no electricity, no roads - only paths and steps. There are no hotels here; tourists stay alternately in the houses of hospitable and hospitable local residents. The well-being of the island's inhabitants is largely based on income from tourism; about 40 thousand tourists from all over the world visit the island every year.
Surikui IslandSuriqui (Spanish: Isla Suriqui) is located in the Bolivian part of the lake. The island is considered the last place where the art of making boats from reeds has been preserved. Craftsmen from Surikui took part in the construction of boats for the famous oceanographer and traveler Thor Heyerdahl, who in 1970 successfully crossed the Atlantic Ocean on the boat Ra-II, built by local craftsmen.
In his book about that expedition, Heyerdahl wrote: “Their knowledge in the construction of large reed boats is so perfect that no shipbuilder, engineer or archaeologist can compete with them.”
Amantani IslandAmantani (Spanish: Isla Amantani) is the largest island in the Peruvian part of the lake (its area is 9.28 km²), having a round shape. Residents still speak Quechua. The island is famous for two sacred mountain peaks with ancient ruins, called “Father Earth” and “Mother Earth”.
Suasi IslandSuasi (Spanish: Isla Suasi) is the only private island in Peru. The island is home to a private ecological reserve and one hotel. The owner of the island (its area is about 43 hectares) and the organizer of the reserve is Martha Giraldo, who still lives on her island today in a small house. Being an indigenous resident of the area of Lake Titicaca, Marta Giraldo has long dreamed of creating a place where unique traditions, amazing nature, and unique ecological features of her native land would be concentrated. In 1996, she organized her own ecological reserve here. Martha inherited the island from her grandmother. Suasi is perfect for those seeking solitude and dreaming of the most complete fusion with nature. Here you can take a canoe trip around the island, admire the lush nature, enjoy the singing of birds, or simply lie back and relax in a hammock.
Ruins of TiwanakuNot far from the lake are the ruins of the ancient city of Tiwanaku (Tiwanaku), which, according to many scientists, originally stood on the banks of Titicaca. But now the ruins of the ancient city are located 20 km south of the lake. It turns out that since the construction of the city, either the water level in the lake has dropped significantly, or as a result of a natural disaster, the rocky foundation on which the city was built has risen greatly. According to scientists, there was a cult of Viracocha in Tiwanaku. According to Indian legends, he was a light-skinned man with a white beard who wore long white robes. He was very kind, but people, incited by evil sorcerers, forced him to leave these lands and go to the East.
Few artifacts from the ancient architects have survived to this day. The largest building in the city is the mysterious pyramid of Akapana, which has a height of 15 m and a base length of 152 m. The famous “Gate of the Sun”, located in the Kalasasaya temple (from “kala” - stone and “saya” - standing, i.e. "Temple of Standing Stones") is the most famous archaeological site of the ancient city.
Gate of the sun
Not far from Tiwanaku, huge blocks weighing from 100 to 450 tons are scattered in disarray, as if scattered by a powerful explosion. The blocks, as if cut by a huge chisel, have an immaculately smooth surface. Our civilization has not yet reached such a high level of stone processing!
For centuries, there have been legends about settlements hidden under water. In 1980, a team led by Bolivian scientist and writer Juto Boero Rojo discovered the remains of an ancient city at the bottom of the northeastern part of the lake: a temple built from large stone blocks, stone roads, sculptures and stairs hidden in lush thickets of seaweed.
These ruins are believed to date back to the pre-Incan period.
Curious facts
Titicaca: The Legend of Origin A long time ago, on the site of Lake Titicaca, there was a fertile valley inhabited by happy people who had plenty of everything. The carefree inhabitants of the valley knew neither death, nor anger, nor envy.
The gods of the mountains, Apu, protected people from all misfortunes, who imposed only one strict prohibition on them: no one should climb to the top of the mountain where the Sacred Fire burned.
People did not even think of breaking the taboo, but the Bes, an evil spirit doomed to eternal darkness, was unable to bear the sight of people living peacefully in the valley. The demon managed to sow discord between them, and in order to prove his courage, he invited people to get the Holy Fire.
One day at dawn, the inhabitants of the valley began to climb the mountain peaks. Apu realized that people had disobeyed them and decided to destroy them all. Thousands of pumas ran out of the caves and attacked people. People screamed loudly, begging the Demon for help, but he was indifferent to their pleas.
At the sight of this, the Sun God Inti began to cry, and his tears were so abundant that in 40 days they flooded the entire valley. Only two - a man and a woman - managed to escape in the reed boat. When the Sun shone in the sky again, the couple could not believe their eyes: they were sailing across a wide lake, the surface of which was dotted with drowned pumas, which then turned into stone sculptures. People named the lake "Titicaca", which means "Lake of Stone Pumas".
Something like this!:)
Perhaps a vacation spent on the lake is not entirely suitable for lovers of passive beach holidays and carefree pastime. This is not the Maldives; people come here for unforgettable experiences, to touch history, to the legendary ancient ruins and to feel the spirit of a mysterious lake in the country of the Sun God.
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Location: Peru, Bolivia
Area: 8,372 km²
Greatest depth: 281 m
Coordinates: 15°47"12.1"S 69°26"30.6"W
The Andean Lake Titicaca fascinates archaeologists, historians and tourists, and every year tens of thousands of travelers from around the world come to its shores. Some strive to see the ruins of the ancient capital of the Andean Empire, Tiwanaku, or as scientists call it the “City of the Dead.” Others want to enjoy the beauty of nature and get acquainted with the unique culture of Indian tribes.
Why Titicaca?The name of the South American lake was invented by the Spaniards who colonized the continent and for this they used the language of the Quechua Indian people. The descendants of the Incas used the word “kaka” to designate a rock, and “titi” meant a puma. It is noteworthy that the brave and warlike Quechua considered the beautiful wild cat to be their totem animal.
Before the arrival of Europeans, south of Lake Titicaca was the territory of one of the first empires of South America - Tiwanaku. Its inhabitants spoke the Pukina language and called the mountain reservoir “Pukina Lake.” The Aymara Indians called it “Mamakota”, and today the locals call the majestic lake “Chukivitu”.
How did the lake appear in the mountains?Scientists have always been interested in the history of the origin of the lake, which lies at an altitude of 3812 m above sea level. Where could such a huge reservoir of fresh water come from in the mountains? Geological studies made it possible to establish that approximately 100 million years ago the lake was located 3.7 km lower. It was a large sea lagoon and connected to the world's oceans. Together with the Andes mountain ranges, the bay gradually rose to greater heights and became freshwater.
Nowadays, on the rocks surrounding the lake shores, you can see traces of the sea surf and fossil remains of the inhabitants of the ancient sea. The bottom of the reservoir is inhabited by invertebrate marine fish, crustaceans and some species of sharks. Although the lake is considered freshwater, all types of salts characteristic of the Pacific Ocean are dissolved in its water, and the level of mineralization is quite high and amounts to 1%.
Geographical featuresTiticaca is located on the Altiplana mountain plateau and is the highest navigable lake on the planet. Moreover, regular shipping has existed here for more than 100 years. The Andean reservoir also leads as the largest freshwater lake in South America. Titicaca stores 893 cubic meters. km of clean water. Interestingly, the water in the central part of the huge reservoir has a constant temperature of +10...+12°C and therefore never freezes. But near the shores, night frosts often bind the surface of the reservoir with a layer of thin ice.
The lake is 176 km long, 66 km wide, and its maximum depth reaches 281 m. Water transparency is limited by aquatic vegetation and silt and ranges from 4.5 to 10.5 m.
About three hundred rivers flow into Titicaca, and the total catchment area covers over 58 thousand square meters. km. Like Baikal, only one river flows from this lake - the Desaguadero. In the upper reaches it is navigable, but then the freshwater stream passes through saline soils, becomes shallow, and the water in it becomes salty. It is curious that Desaguadero removes only 5% of its volume from the lake. The rest of the water evaporates from strong solar radiation and mountain winds.
The underwater secrets of Lake TiticacaSince the 16th century, when Europeans began colonizing South America, much scientific research has been carried out on the lake and its underwater world. According to surviving Indian legends, the ancient Incan city of Wanaku rests at the bottom of an Andean reservoir. They tried to disarm him several times. In the 1960s, the famous explorer Jacques Yves Cousteau looked for traces of the mysterious city, but the lake did not want to part with its secret.
In 2000, divers from Italy came to Titicaca. The discoveries they made amazed the scientific world! At a depth of 30 m, scientists found a long terrace similar to an ancient pavement, and for 1 km under water there was a stone wall. However, the most surprising discovery was a stone statue in the form of a human head. The same sculptures were previously discovered in the ruins of the Indian city of Tiwanaku, which is located 15 km south of Lake Titicaca. The analysis showed that the underwater finds are 1.5 thousand years old.
In 2013, Bolivian and Belgian archaeologists continued underwater research. More than two thousand unique artifacts were recovered from the bottom of the lake, which date back to the ancient Tiwanaku empire and to later periods in the history of South America. Researchers found here objects made of gold and silver, as well as stylized animal figurines.
The interest in the Andean reservoir is so great that it is rightfully considered one of the most popular lakes in the world. From time immemorial, Quechua and Aymara Indians have lived on its banks. On Titicaca is the Peruvian city of Puno, which appeared in the mid-17th century. Considered by many to be the cultural capital of the country, most Peru tours are routed through Puno. It was in these places that fiery dances and songs were born that became widely known throughout South America.
The main attractions of Puno are the picturesque cathedral and the Carlos Dreyer Museum, where you can see many artifacts telling about the pre-Columbian history of the continent. The museum was named after a German artist and antiquities collector who lived on the banks of Titicaca for about 30 years. The halls of the museum display ancient mummies, Inca ceramics and sculptures, gold items, household items of Spanish colonialists and paintings.
Floating reed island Uros
On the hill of Wahsapata, above the city, there is a monument in honor of the first Incas - the legendary Manco Capac. This place attracts many tourists, as from the hill there is a beautiful view of the old part of Puno and the expanses of Lake Titicaca. Puno is also an important economic center of the country. Several shipyards have been built in this city, and there is active trade with Bolivia along the lake.
Not far from the city there is another attraction associated with the Indians. These are the floating islands "Uros". The culture of building drifting islands from reeds originated before the colonization of South America and has survived to this day.
Modern tourists can not only see houses on the reed islands, but also spend the night in them to get a closer look at the life of the Uros Indians. Here, travelers are taken on reed boats, given a taste of delicious dishes made from the core of the reed, and offered beautiful souvenirs.
One of the Uros Islands
Many tourists go to the Islands of the Moon and the Sun, where the ruins of Indian temples are preserved. On the islands, the Inca priests performed their sacred rites, and tribal leaders were buried. It should be borne in mind that both islands belong to Bolivia, so to visit them you need to cross the border of this country.
Natural attractionsTiticaca attracts tourists with the beauty of its high mountain nature. At a distance from the lake shores, the snow-capped peaks of the Andes rise. On the northwestern coast lies the territory of the Titicaca National Reserve. The natural reserve, covering 36,180 hectares, was created to protect the unique biodiversity of the mountain reservoir and colonies of nesting and migratory birds.
Reed boat of the Uros Indians
Since 1997, the reed-covered banks of Titicaca have the status of wetlands of international importance and are protected as a habitat for rare species of waterfowl - ducks, geese, gulls and flamingos. The waters of the lake are inhabited by salmon trout, reaching a length of one meter.
The name "Titicaca" (in Spanish Titicaca) is the largest freshwater lake in South America by volume. This body of water is shrouded in numerous myths and legends; it is no coincidence that for many centuries it has been a favorite place of “pilgrimage” not only for scientific researchers, but also for treasure and adventure seekers.
Mysterious Titicaca General information about the reservoirThe main attraction of Peru is the floating, reed-covered Uros Islands; tourists are often taken there on excursions. They are called something like a “museum under the sky.”
It treats tourists peacefully, gladly demonstrates its own houses made of reeds, organizes boat rides, lets you try dishes made from the heart of the plant, and also sells souvenirs, you can guess what from yourself.
In addition, you should definitely visit the town of Chuquito, located near Puno. It is interesting for the Inca-Uyo fertility temple, in which thirteen phallic-shaped stones are sealed.
A full excursion program is usually designed for three days and a couple of nights. It includes a trip to the cities of Juliaca and Puno, a visit to the Umayo reservoir, a trip around Titicaca on a motorboat, a visit to the reed-covered Uros, to an Indian village on the island of Taquile, as well as walks through the hills and archaeological parks of the latter. The excursion with an extended program also includes a trip to the islet of Suasi - a private property where a barbecue is held and a comfortable overnight stay. Excursions cost in the range from one hundred and forty to five hundred dollars.
Note for travelers
A trip to the lake from the Bolivian side is somewhat different from a visit from the Peruvian side. Copacabana in Bolivia is a tourist city, it has a developed hotel chain, many restaurants and bars. Spending time here is very pleasant; in the suburbs you can explore Incan ruins; excursions to Isla del Sol regularly depart from the town’s pier.
Puno is not so developed in terms of tourist infrastructure, it is quite dirty and unattractive. There is hardly anything interesting for tourists here. However, next to Puno there are the floating islands of Uros - one of the main attractions of Titicaca.
Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world, located in the Andes Mountains on the border of Peru and Bolivia. It is located at an altitude of 3800 meters and amazes with its scale. The total area of the lake is more than 8000 km². Surprisingly, it is home to many species of oceanic fish, as if it were not a lake at all. Invertebrate fish and even sharks are found in it, which makes Titicaca one of the most unusual bodies of water. This lake is included in the 1000 popular places in the world according to our website.
There are many ancient settlements and ruins around Titicaca, but the center of the region is the city of Puno, where trains and buses arrive from Lima and Cusco. It takes more than 40 hours to travel by bus from Lima, so tourists prefer to fly to the airport in Cusco, and from there go by train to Puno. This journey takes 10-11 hours. Many people remember the name Titicaca from school, but not everyone knows what it means. The root "titi" in Quechua means "puma", and this animal has always been sacred among local tribes. The word "kaka", in turn, is translated as "rock".
Here are some physical parameters of the lake: maximum depth is approximately 280 m, water temperature remains almost unchanged - about 10-12 °C, length to width ratio - 230x97. Thus, it is clear that the size and performance of the lake are impressive. According to the type of mineralization, it is fresh; salinity - only 1%. It looks serene at any time of the year, although winds are not uncommon in this region. The vast blue expanse of the lake is more reminiscent of the surface of the sea. Conventionally, Titicaca has two parts, connected by a narrow strip of water that makes up the Tiquina Strait.
Thanks to regular boat transport from Copacabana (Bolivia), you can admire the Andes directly from the lake. This is an unforgettable picture. At the same time, there are many islands in the lake. Thus, entire settlements of the Quechua and Aymara tribes live on the reed islands. One of the largest islands of Titicaca is considered the Island of the Sun, on which more than 180 ancient ruins have been discovered.
Recent EntriesOne of the hilly islands was used as a prison during Spanish colonization. Local residents live according to their own customs. It was as if civilization had not touched them. They continue to live without electricity, cars or other modern conveniences.
Photo attraction: Lake Titicaca
Oceans, lakes and rivers
Lake TiticacaIn South America, on the border between Peru and Bolivia, there is a large, deep body of water. It's called Lake Titicaca. It is located in the Andes - a huge mountain range. The mountains stretch from north to south along the western part of the continent, and reach a length of 9 thousand km. The width ranges from 500 to 700 km. The lake itself lies approximately in the middle of an endless series of proud ridges at an altitude of 3812 meters above sea level. The area adjacent to the reservoir is called the Altiplano plateau. These are salt marshes, as well as smaller lakes. They are the remains of a huge reservoir that splashed in these places 2 million years ago.
Lake Titicaca
In fact, Titicaca consists of two bodies of water connected by the narrow Strait of Tiquina. The larger body of water or upper lake is called Lago Chicuito. And the smaller body of water is called Lago Pegueno. The strait between them at its narrowest point is 850 meters wide. The upper reservoir is much deeper than the lower one. Its average depth is 135 meters, and its maximum is 284 meters. The lower small reservoir has an average depth of 9 meters and a maximum of 40 meters. Thus, the average depth of the entire lake is 107 meters, and the maximum value is 281 meters.
The maximum length of the lake is 190 km. The maximum width is 80 km. The reservoir contains huge reserves of fresh water. Their volume is 893 cubic meters. km. This is the first place among all alpine lakes on the planet. The area of the water surface is 8.4 thousand square meters. km. It is the second largest lake in South America by area. The first place is occupied by Maracaibo in the north of the continent. But it would be more correct to call it not a lake, but a bay, since it is connected through a strait with the waters of the Atlantic.
Lake Titicaca on the map
The length of the coastline is 1125 km. It is quite heavily indented by bays and bays. There are 41 islands in the reservoir. Most of them are densely populated by people.
Lake Titicaca5 large rivers, 20 small and hundreds of streams flow into the lake. They flow down from mountain peaks on which ice caps lie.
The Desaguadero River flows from the southern part of the lake. This is the only water flow leaving the reservoir. The length of the river is 436 km. It flows into Lake Poopo, located in Bolivia, south of the city of Oruro. The city is big. Its population is 210 thousand people.
Lake Titicaca does not boast large settlements located on its shores. The most significant of them is the Peruvian city of Puno. Its population is 120 thousand people. The city is ancient. It was founded by the Spaniards in the second half of the 17th century. The exoticism of this settlement attracts many tourists.
The Uru Indians live near Puno. They preserved the ancient traditions of their ancestors. Some of these Indians live on floating islands built of reeds. They float on the surface of the lake and are like villages on the water. But these days, only a few hundred urus prefer floating life. Most of them prefer to live on the earth's surface.
Representative of the Uru tribe living on the water
Since 2000, the large mountain lake has experienced a constant drop in water level. For example, in 2009 the level decreased by 81 cm. Experts explain this by the shortening of the rainy season and the decrease in the ice caps from which the streams and rivers that feed the reservoir flow. Increasing water pollution is also a cause for concern. In the lake basin, the population of cities is growing, and wastewater treatment plants are being built very slowly. In some places there are none at all. So the prospects for the future are not very optimistic.
As for shipping, Lake Titicaca has never been deprived of the attention of shipping companies. Since the second half of the 19th century, large ships have carried out cargo and passenger voyages across the reservoir. True, at first there were difficulties with assembling the floating equipment. They were built in Great Britain, then dismantled into parts, transported across the ocean, and then transported by mules to Puno. Here the ships were assembled and launched. When the railroad was built, transportation became much easier. Nowadays, many old ships serve as hotels for tourists and restaurants on the water, which further contributes to the exoticism of these places.
We must not forget that the large mountain lake had a rich history long before Europeans appeared on its shores. Let us remember such civilizations as Chavin and Paracas. They existed on the lands adjacent to the reservoir 3 thousand years ago. In the 14th century, the Incas settled securely in the lake basin. All these lands became part of their huge empire. And only in 1532 the first Europeans appeared, led by Francisco Pizarro.
Island on Titicaca
It is quite natural that the waters of the lake and the adjacent land are of great interest to archaeologists. There is a legend that there is an ancient city at the bottom of a deep reservoir. No traces of him have been found, there are only legends. But there are other finds that indirectly confirm the ancient legend.
So, at a depth of 35 meters off the eastern shore, an ancient stone pavement was discovered. A fortress wall was also found, the length of which is more than 900 meters. A stone sculpture was discovered. It represents a human head carved from stone. Similar sculptures were found in the ruins of the ancient city of Tiwanaku. It is only about 20 km from the lake. The age of all archaeological finds does not exceed 1500 years.
In a word, Lake Titicaca keeps many historical secrets. It has always been the center of various cultures and civilizations. There have been quite a few of them over the past few thousand years. All of them were located along the banks of the reservoir, taking into account the favorable climate and the presence of a large amount of water.
By the way, about the climate. Nowadays it has all the characteristics of an Alpine. It is a dry winter with cold nights and mornings. The afternoon is usually warm. The average annual precipitation is 610 mm. The average annual high temperature is 17 degrees Celsius. The minimum low temperature in the winter months (June, July) is minus 7 degrees Celsius. The difference between night and day temperatures is 12-13 degrees. So you can live on the shores of the lake. This is proven by the local residents, whose numbers are steadily increasing every year.
Yuri Syromyatnikov
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In the mountains of South America, at an altitude of 3.8 km, lies the highest mountain lake in the world - Titicaca, the depth of which is 304 m. The name of this amazing body of water means “a piece of lead rock” in the Inca Indian language. Local residents first gave this name to the island located off the southern shore, and then to the lake itself.
In the morning hours of summer, Titicaca amazes with the absolute real estate of its mirror surface, in which the sky is surprisingly clearly reflected. As the sun rises over the wall of the Andes mountain ranges, the lake suddenly flares up with a blindingly bright light, taking on a greenish-purple hue, and begins to miniaturize itself with bright light stripes. During the day, when the sun rises high, the width of the lake seems to expand.
Lake Titicaca plays the role of an inland sea, collecting all the meager waters of this desert highland. More than 300 rivers flow into the lake, but only one flows out - the Desaguadero. On its way, the river cuts through salt layers and erodes them, so in the lower reaches the water in the river is salty.
The lake water is also slightly salty, but suitable for drinking. For local residents, Titicaca is at the same time a source of water, a supplier of food, and a giant “hot water bottle” that softens the climate of this harsh region. The water temperature in the lake does not drop below +10 ° C, although it often freezes at night near the shores. It is no coincidence that people settled here 10 thousand years ago. Now the descendants of the Incas, the Aymara Indians, live in villages along the shores of Lake Titicaca. And the ancient local inhabitants - the Uru Indians - live on islands, and floating ones. The fact is that the coast is partially bordered by reeds, known as totoras. The Uru build floating islands out of it, laying down more and more new layers as the lower ones become saturated with water and then wash away or rot. On such amazing islands there were entire villages in which almost all the lake people lived - more than a thousand people (in 2006, about forty families lived permanently on the lake). For food they are ruled by the fish, animals and birds that inhabit the islands.
We can say that the Uru created a unique “reed culture”. However, now they are becoming more and more involved in civilization. So, almost every house has a TV powered by a solar battery.
The surface of the Uuru Islands is soft and elastic, and in places water seeps through the reed cover. Huts on the islands and boats for moving around the lake, which are also called “balsa where Totoro”, are also made by the Indians from reeds. A canoe made of tightly bound reed straw can last up to six months before it begins to rot.
Now there are about 40 floating islands on Lake Titicaca. Some of them have observation towers.
The Incas considered Titicaca a sacred lake, and many legends are associated with it. Some of them say that at the bottom of the reservoir lie submerged Inca temples, in which a lot of gold is hidden. This prompted the world-famous French oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau to organize an expedition to the lake. Using a submersible called the saucer diving spot, Cousteau and his team conducted underwater research for two months. They were unable to find temples or gold, but the researchers explored the very depths of the alpine reservoir and discovered about a million frogs living under water, breathing through their entire skin.
There are more than thirty islands on Titicaca, mostly located on the Great Reach. Two of them are sacred by local residents and given them expressive names: the island of the Sun, the island of the Moon. According to the legend of the Incas who inhabited these islands, they belonged to the sun god Titicaca and the moon god Coata.
The outskirts of Lake Titicaca, its bays and islands have been densely populated since ancient times. Here was the center of the ancient Inca civilization, traces of which remained in the ruins of temples, villages, and stone tombs.
